MLIAM Chapter 10
by VolareChapter 10 Night of Revelry: Why are you dressed like this today?
Yu Shuli awkwardly accepted the silver bills. He knew this was Wei Yan’s good intention.
Yu Shuli wasn’t the type of person to be fussy.
The Yu family was short on funds, and now he had become a thorn in everyone’s side. The donations on the surface were definitely unavoidable, but the Yu family was known for its integrity, so how could they possibly come up with so much money?
Even if it wasn’t for appearances, he still had to deal with the Emperor.
He sized up Wei Yan and asked, “Honestly, where did you get so much money?”
Wei Yan smiled and leaned closer, “Are you interrogating me?”
The midday sun shone on his face, making his originally fair complexion a little rosy.
Yu Shuli stiffened his neck: “Yeah, is that a problem?”
“Of course not.” Wei Yan’s eyes curved as he deliberately lied to answer his question: “The money, of course, was dug up during the confiscation of corrupt officials’ homes.”
Hearing this, Yu Shuli was so frightened that he threw the box away and widened his eyes: “This is stolen money?”
He gritted his teeth and pushed Wei Yan, “How can you do such a thing?”
Seeing his anxious appearance, Wei Yan slowed down his speech and coaxed him: “If the young general follows me in the future, he will enjoy endless wealth and glory, wouldn’t that be nice?”
“Wei Yan,” Yu Shuli tried to reason with him, “I know your position. It’s not easy for you to always uphold integrity and honesty. Sometimes, being in your position, you can’t help yourself. But embezzling stolen money is a serious crime. I don’t want you to take such a big risk for a little money.”
Wei Yan raised an eyebrow: “Are you worried about me?” He regretfully closed the box: “Forget it then. Since you look down on the stolen money I offered, then you can solve it yourself.”
Wei Yan got up, patted the non-existent dust on his clothes, and said lightly, “Goodbye.”
Seeing that Wei Yan was getting anxious and really wanted to leave, Yu Shuli grabbed his hand. “Wei Yan… listen to me…”
In desperation, he should have grabbed Wei Yan’s wrist, but somehow, their fingers intertwined.
Yu Shuli’s fingers trembled.
Wei Yan’s hand was so cold.
Wei Yan’s lips curled into an arc, and he turned his head to look at him calmly. “What?”
“Are you cold?” Yu Shuli asked.
He practiced martial arts all year round, and his whole body was warm, like a small stove. Holding Wei Yan’s hand was like holding a piece of ice.
Wei Yan turned his body indifferently, still looking like he was about to leave, but his mouth was honest: “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry… Did you wait at the door for a long time?” Yu Shuli felt a little guilty: “Um… I know you’re busy with official duties, and the tea I poured earlier is cold. How about I pour you another cup of hot tea? You can drink it before you leave?”
Wei Yan turned his head and saw that Yu Shuli had let go of his hand, then neatly picked up the teacup and poured tea for him.
The temperature on his fingers suddenly loosened, and an unknown emotion flashed in Wei Yan’s eyes, “I’m not busy, you’re the busy one.”
“Huh?” Yu Shuli raised his head, his eyes a little dazed: “I’m not busy.” He handed the tea over.
Wei Yan took the teacup, but still didn’t drink, “Not busy?” He chuckled: “How could you be not busy and break our appointment?”
Alright, the topic was back on track.
Yu Shuli guiltily looked away, “That… that…”
Before he could come up with a reason, he heard Wei Yan ask, “Are you free tonight?”
“Wha… what for?”
“I’ve booked a spot at Magnolia Cloud Ship. Do you want to eat spicy fish head?”
Yu Shuli’s eyes lit up instantly: “I want to eat it!” But instantly, his expression hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped.
Wei Yan’s eyes curved: “Okay, then don’t break the appointment again.” After thinking about it, he added, “It’s not stolen money, it’s money earned from writing stories, clean money. I was just teasing you earlier.”
Yu Shuli breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s good…”
It made Yu Shuli relieved that Wei Yan wasn’t a big corrupt official.
Otherwise, if the Second Prince, who couldn’t tolerate sand in his eyes, came to power in the future and wanted to eliminate all threats, Yu Shuli really wouldn’t be able to bring himself to deal with Wei Yan.
His mischievous and gloomy nature, and his love for calculation, didn’t matter much, after all, Wei Yan wouldn’t harm him.
Having figured this out, Yu Shuli didn’t even bother to dwell on the fact that Wei Yan had deliberately flirted with him and played with him earlier. Instead, he cupped his fist in his hand and said with a smile, “Your Prime Minister’s orders are my command!”
*
In the evening, Yu Shuli changed into a slightly more formal outfit and tried to sneak out.
As a result, he was grabbed by Yu Huaxin, who had just returned from outside.
“Where are you going again? You brat!” Yu Huaxin had seen Yu Shuli’s sneaky appearance many times, and he always went to the Brothels. Now, seeing Yu Shuli dressed up like a human being and running outside, he instinctively became angry.
“No… nowhere…” Yu Shuli knew that his father had some opinions about Wei Yan, so he didn’t want to tell his father that he was going to see him. So, he smiled flatteringly and changed the subject: “Dad, what a coincidence, just got off work?”
“It’s not a coincidence. I knew you kid was so well-behaved during the day, you had no good intentions at night.” Yu Huaxin knocked on his head: “Honestly.”
Yu Shuli pouted, knowing that he couldn’t hide it, so he said vaguely, “Just… going to have dinner with Wei Yan.”
“Having dinner with Wei Yan, do you have to dress up in such a flamboyant way? When have you ever worn this kind of Capital City’s young master’s robe? Who are you trying to fool?” Yu Huaxin quickly called Zheng Shiyi out: “I can’t control you anymore, let your mother talk to you.”
Yu Shuli touched the brocade on his body and explained with some guilt, “Where’s it flamboyant? Isn’t it just ordinary clothes? And Wei Yan booked the Magnolia Cloud Ship! That ship is hard to book! All the royal relatives and VIPs go there. I can’t go to such a valuable place wearing armor, right?”
When Zheng Shiyi arrived, Yu Shuli was still arguing with his father about whether he was going to an improper place.
Seeing that help had arrived, Yu Shuli’s eyes lit up: “Mom! You quickly persuade Dad, he won’t let me go out to have dinner with Wei Yan!”
When Zheng Shiyi and Yu Huaxin looked at each other, Zheng Shiyi understood what Yu Huaxin was worried about.
Zheng Shiyi glanced at Yu Shuli and joked with a smile: “You look very good today.”
Yu Shuli’s cheeks flushed: “I just randomly found an ordinary robe to wear.”
Zheng Shiyi nodded and didn’t expose him: “Yes, it’s true, my precious son is naturally beautiful.”
“That’s right, that’s right.” Yu Shuli gave Yu Huaxin a proud look: “Dad, I told you, I inherited Mom’s beauty, I’d look good even if I wore a rag.”
“So you’re going out with Wei Yan so late, just to wear a beautiful rag and have dinner on the ship?” Zheng Shiyi probed: “Nothing else?”
“What else could there be?!” Understanding his mother’s implication, Yu Shuli jumped in anger: “We’re not that kind of relationship! We’re just having a purely innocent dinner together!”
“Okay, okay, Mom believes you.” Seeing her son explode, Zheng Shiyi pursed her lips and smiled: “Go ahead, let the servant leave a door for you when you come back. It’s okay if you don’t come back, just be careful.”
Hearing the words “It’s okay if you don’t come back”, Yu Shuli couldn’t help but feel a little resentment: “Mom… you’re too perfunctory…”
Zheng Shiyi smiled teasingly: “Isn’t that because I know you’re with Wei Yan? That child is reliable, I trust him.”
Yu Shuli’s ears turned red, he snorted and slammed the door shut as he walked away.
Yu Huaxin pouted: “This brat, only you can control him.”
Zheng Shiyi waved her hand, “Come here, I’m going to settle an account with you.”
Yu Huaxin opened his mouth with a guilty conscience: “What… what account?”
Zheng Shiyi raised her eyes and motioned for him to return to the room: “I heard that the two servants I brought back were chased to the kitchen by you?…”
*
Yu Shuli walked along the night street. When he arrived at the brightly lit ship dock, he tugged at the moon-white robe on his body. Until he loosened the gold embroidery on it, he struggled with the thought that he was really dressed too formally tonight.
But that was Magnolia Cloud Ship!
When he was at the border, he thought that if one day the war was over and he returned to the Capital City, he would drink and recite poems like those young masters, seeking pleasure and enjoyment.
He had heard that the world’s best musician would be playing music on the Magnolia Cloud Ship, and Yu Shuli had admired her for a long time. He was dressed so formally today because he had the intention of paying his respects.
Yu Shuli didn’t actually practice martial arts when he was a child. He looked elegant and weak, like a little girl, and his personality was like his mother’s, always quiet.
At that time, the Yu family was still at its peak in the Northwest. Zheng Shiyi was good at music, and the courtyard was often filled with moving music. Yu Shuli didn’t like to follow his father to the military camp to dance with swords, but liked to follow his mother, playing the zither and plucking the strings.
But this tranquility was soon broken. Yu Huaxin returned from defeat, covered in embarrassment, and has been depressed ever since.
The Yu family was forcibly brought to the Capital City. The Emperor used the name of nobility to carry out supervision.
From then on, this originally happy family was trapped in the Capital City and could not leave without a reason.
In order to get out of the predicament, Yu Shuli grew up overnight from a crying and quiet young master. Under the watchful eyes of all forces, he drew his sword and went to the battlefield.
Not to mention drinking and having fun, even hearing the sweet sound of stringed instruments again was like a dream.
It was rare to have such an opportunity today.
The night breeze was slightly cool, but the bright lights warmed Yu Shuli’s heart.
He straightened his robe. Before the time to board the ship expired, he walked onto the Magnolia Cloud Ship with his ticket.
The boatman clearly shouted, “The time has come, set sail~”
The huge ship slowly sailed into the long river.
Yu Shuli walked around the ship, searching for a long time. Finally, he found Wei Yan, who was staring into the distance in a daze, at the stern of the ship.
Yu Shuli waved his hand in front of his eyes: “Hey, what are you spacing out for?”
He leaned against Wei Yan and complained, “You said you’d wait for me, but you secretly hid yourself, making it hard for me to find you. I thought you stood me up.”
Wei Yan slowly turned his head when he heard his voice and was stunned for a moment: “Yu Shuli?”
Yu Shuli “hmm”d.
“I thought… you weren’t coming again.” Wei Yan’s voice was low, sounding a little aggrieved.
Yu Shuli did arrive right on time, but Wei Yan did look like he had been waiting for a long time.
Could it be that he saw that he hadn’t appeared for a long time, so he thought he had broken his promise again?
So he walked to the stern of the ship, spacing out, and was actually sulking?
“How could that be?!” Yu Shuli quickly pulled his sleeve and made him look up at him.
“Look, I’m here!” His eyes were bright, his pink lips slightly curved, and his tall figure under the moon-white robe was beautiful beyond words.
Wei Yan’s eyes lost their focus for a moment, and his Adam’s apple rolled: “You… you today, why are you dressed like this?”
Yu Shuli pouted: “It doesn’t look good?”
Wei Yan hesitated for a long time, wanting to praise him, but in the end, he didn’t know why he suddenly ran out of words, and only squeezed out the words “It looks good”.
But he saw Yu Shuli excitedly grab his sleeve and ask him, “I heard that the world’s best musician will be performing on the ship, when will it start?”
Wei Yan’s originally raised lips instantly drooped, and his voice instantly cooled down: “You came because you wanted to see her?”
“Didn’t I promise to have dinner with you? I just wanted to listen to her music too.” Yu Shuli didn’t realize Wei Yan’s instantly depressed mood, and was still excitedly asking, “Where are our seats?”
Wei Yan lowered his eyes to look at him, not speaking.
At this moment, a burst of cheers rang out from inside the ship.
Yu Shuli’s heart moved, and just as he was about to step into the cabin, Wei Yan grabbed his wrist.
His strength was so great that Yu Shuli couldn’t break free for a moment.
Just as he was about to say something, a group of people walked over in the distance, looking like they were about to enter the ship as well.
Under the moonlight, Yu Shuli squinted his eyes and turned his head, and clearly saw the person in the lead.
It was none other than the current Crown Prince.